The present invention relates to an insulated concrete wall and method of fabricating such a wall where the same rods are used as both form ties for maintaining form panels a preselected distance apart, and as tie rods for interconnecting the insulation layer with the concrete wall layers.
The use of prefabricated forms for fabricating concrete walls is well known in the art. For example, Stout, U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,822, discloses the use of straps as cross ties for positioning and maintaining opposite form panels together while the wall is being formed. Further, Long, U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,821, discloses an insulated concrete wall incorporating tie rods to hold essentially disposed insulation board between adjacent concrete wall layers and to provide a strong mechanical connection such layers.
However, in certain applications, particularly where skilled labor may be unavailable and walls must be fabricated quickly, the use of separate tie rods and form ties is inefficient because they must be installed in separate steps in the wall fabrication process.